Collection of Works from Art Classes in the Academy's Archive

Part of the archive's holdings is a collection of approximately 3.500 creative works produced by children and adolescents in art classes. To date this collection has largely escaped academic attention.

It is based on a donation made by Professor Günter Blecks (1930-2015, Professor of art education methodology at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1975 to 1995) in 1997. Blecks' donation included numerous works originating from a collection by Professor Kurt Arnscheidt. Arnscheidt (1906-2001) was a teacher of art at the Görres-Gymnasium in Düsseldorf and a Professor of art teaching at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1958 to 1971.

Since 1999 further accumulations of children's and adolescents' creative works have been added to the collection by the current Professor of teaching methodology in the visual arts at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. In its present form the collection provides comprehensive insight into the development of art teaching from the early 20th century to the present day. Major emphasis has been placed on pieces from the decade after World War II.